Solidly done, and pretty fault-free, so I can’t help but give it the appropriate score. But, and I can’t quite put my finger on it, there’s a certain something missing. Somehow, it’s just not exciting. Dunno how it can simultaneously be world-class, yet something I wouldn’t bother with again, but there you go. (16/20)

Not the first time I’ve had savoury elements in beer, and to some extent I remain somewhat unconvinced as to how well that approach works. That said, it probably works somewhat better here because of the inclusion of Brett – there’s still a lot of sweetness and fruit present, but the dry funky Brett character works well with the herbal sage. At least, as far as the aroma goes, it does. There’s an interesting disconnect between aroma and taste here, with a bright tart citrus coming through on the tongue but nearly completely absent on the nose (or maybe it’s just completely overwhelmed by the sage sledgehammer). Really pretty beer, though I’m fairly sure that’s a happy accident and not filtering: I poured the tulip full, and the last half inch or so remaining in the bottle had all the lees that had settled fairly hard during the 10 months or so this thing has been sitting undisturbed and waiting for tonight. An interesting beer, if not overly approachable. (16/20)

I really like this – it totally reminds me of the Mathilda beermosas I made a couple of Xmases ago. I mean, even the big foamy head is the same. The only real difference is that there’s a tropical fruit note present in addition to the juicy citrus. If you’re a fiend for Brett the way I am, you’ll enjoy this. (17/20)

(sigh) Collective, I love you, but you’re breaking my balls here. You’ve gone and set the bar pretty high for me, so now you reap what you’ve sown: what can I say? Competence is its own punishment. This is nowhere near as good as 4 (Hallertau Blanc, Citra, Mosaic), and actually slightly inferior to 1 (Nelson Sauvin, Simcoe, Citra). Which, I guess, shouldn’t be surprising, given the hop selection: Crystal and Citra are fine as supporting elements, but all by themselves, with nothing interesting to provide direction? Risky choice. I end up getting a somewhat muddled tropical fruit aspect that barely outpaces the sweet caramel, and a sticky finish that really doesn’t invite another sip. Yeah, fine, it’s drinkable, but it’s not at the level I’ve come to expect from you, and literally doesn’t make it into your top ten. (14/20)

I had seriously high hopes here – like, Heady Topper level hopes. It didn’t quite live up to them, but I suppose that’s the risk associated with high hopes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, but I’m not sure it’s next-level good. When all is said and done, it’s a solid example of the NEIPA style, with a pleasingly balanced hop character in the aroma, but restrained bitterness, and that’s what it’s all about. My love affair with the style continues unabated… (16/20)

OK, I see what the point is here: an APA that wants to be an IPA. But, fact is, I’m not entirely clear why this couldn’t just as easily be called an IPA. (Tending slightly to light side for the style, perhaps, but only slightly. I’ve never been too clear on the distinction between the two, if I’m honest…) Anyhoo, yeah, decent APA, though the balance is slightly further to the sweet malt than I’d prefer, making it less crisp, refreshing and more-ish than I look for in the style. An interesting enough one to try, but not one I’d go back to in a hurry – unlike his Forgetful Brewer. (15/20)

(No packaging or BB dates, but the shop told me this was a fresh batch, so I’m operating on the assumption that this is the way the brewer intended it to be.) Yeah, I actually didn’t notice the “blackberry” bit on the label when I picked this up, so I was halfway expecting an NEIPA – not so much. I had a bad feeling about the appearance when I started pouring this, and the last inch or so out of the can being as lumpy as it was didn’t do much to help. My comment above notwithstanding, I don’t think this can possibly be fresh. In fact, the visual was so off-putting I was actually hesitant to taste it, despite the mild aroma. Once I started, it wasn’t so bad, though. Wasn’t so good, either, mind you. Bit of a train wreck, actually, and I’m left wondering if this is actually what the brewer intended. Gee, if only there were some way to know how fresh a beer was – if only there were some magic that allowed one to know when a beer was packaged!

(No packaging or BB dates, but the shop told me this was a fresh batch, so I’m operating on the assumption that this is the way the brewer intended it to be.) First time I’ve had anything by this, yet another new local Calgary brewer, and I’m cautiously optimistic. It’s a bit middle-of-the-road, and that’s probably sounding like I’m damning them with faint praise, but I’m not: it’s reasonably flavourful and a solid performer, and getting to that point after having been in business for a year is actually pretty good. (14/20)

(No packaging or BB dates, but the shop told me this was a fresh batch, so I’m operating on the assumption that this is the way the brewer intended it to be.) As a huge fan of ANZ hops (especially Nelson) I had high hopes for this, but they didn’t quite pan out. Not disappointing, as such, but less bright ANZ hop presence than I was hoping for. Instead of vinous and stone fruit, I’m getting a fairly strong floral shortly behind a straightforward citrus. Although not sweet, that perfume character prevents it from being clean and refreshing. OK, but nothing special. (14/20)